"Jim, have you noticed that time seems to not be passing?" Spock asked.

Jim was sipping some cool-aide, covered in sunscreen, listening to the music coming from the radio wearing a pair of sunglasses. He lowered the cool-aide down to the armrest cup holder then put it down into the cup holder. He was sitting down in a chair. He was shirtless. Jim's face was pretty red because he had been out in the sun for so long when he finally decided to apply sun screen.

"Time has been passing, Spock." Jim said.

"It has been exactly twenty-three years, three months, two weeks, four hours,fifteen minutes, and two seconds since the explosion happened if time was still passing." Spock said.

Jim lowered his sunglasses.

"That long?" Jim asked.

"Affirmative." Spock said.

Jim raised his sunglasses up.

"Since we are not aging,I believe that logically means we are on a enforced shore leave," Jim said. "For the rest of our lives."

"That would be logical," Spock agreed. "Though I can only wonder where we are."

"We in some realm," Jim said. "Shore Leave Realm!"

"Oh Jim," Spock said. "When we get back, I strongly recommend we never talk about where we've been. Someone might try to get here."

Jim laughed.

"I am kind of glad we are here." Jim said.

"Hm?" Spock said.

"The new cadets on the block are out there, somewhere, exploring the stars," Jim said, pointing at the sky. "Ever kid out there in Star Fleet is ours if that spirit to go on exploring the universe." He lowered his arm down to the arm rest. "Boldly where no man has gone before. Space. The final rest stop!"

The Vulcan was amused by Jim's monologue.

"Jim." Spock said.

"Yes?" Jim asked.

"Sunscreen, contrary to popular belief, does not prevent sun burns." Spock said.

Jim raised his eyebrows.

"What about my burns?" Jim asked.

"Apply it to your burns before you fall asleep, or else," Spock said. "I will make sure of that."

"I wanted to see if it were any different," Spock said. "From the ones I had seen in the earlier Enterprises. It made me feel. . . "

"Outdated?" Jim guessed.

"Like a old relic." Spock finished.

"It made you feel old," Jim said. "If McCoy was here. . . He would be very happy to hear that from you."

"Yes, he would," Spock agreed. "He would. . . I wonder if he is living prosperly."

"He probably is," Jim said. "Hikaru and Pavel were planning a three month visit to The Shore Leave planet before going their separate ways."

Spock raised his arched eyebrow up.

"Three months?" Spock repeated.

"Three months." Jim said.

Spock lowered his eyebrow.

"I wonder how they managed to do that," Spock said. "I never expected them to be intimate." Jim laughed so much so that he caught the Vulcan off guard. "Jim, is there a anterior motive other than being intimate?"

"They said they were bringing some of their friends on a 'enforced' vacation," Jim said. "Spock, it is not like they are THAT close! I recognized some of their names as people who over-work in the science division. Many who had served on the Enterprise a long time ago in the five year mission."

"Science Officers overworking themselves?" Spock said.

Jim nodded.

"They were assigned to a science vessel," Jim said. "The captain of that ship was 'allegedly' concerned and asked for some advice from two people in a passing escort vessel which happened to be our two friends."

"Who was the captain of this . . . science vessel?" Spock asked.

"Raymond Simone." Jim said.

"I remember him," Spock said. "Simone was a Vulcan in training when I paid a visit to the Academy."

Jim put the ax into the wood and looked up to see a bald man standing there in a uniform that wasn't of Jim's century.

"I need your help." Were the four words he needed to hear.

Which he did.

"Oh Sppoooooock!" Jim called.

Out came Spock holding what seemed to be a unusual brown bear like creature that was small but very adorable in his arms that had a lion like tail, husks of a saber tooth tiger, legs of a lion,head of a bear, torso of a bear, and the mane of a lion. It caught the bald man by surprise to see Spock holding a Sehlat in his arms but with Admiral James T. Kirk! This was almost like he had fallen into a hole leading into a hole leading to wonderland in a extreme level.

"What is it, Jim?" Spock asked.

Jim faced toward the captain.

Spock paused in place seeing the Star Fleet like uniform being worn by the man.

Spock dropped his Sehlat.

"Now, what kind of help do you need?" Jim asked.

"To get out of the Nexus and save a entire system." Came the reply.

Spock came to Jim's side.

"So it already has a name?" Jim asked.

"Yes." The captain had four pips indicating his rank.

"What a bummer." Jim said.

"Who are you?" Spock asked.

"Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise." Picard said.

"Off to save the world again, when do we start?" Jim asked, as he and Spock's free hands were held together.